Alternative reinforcement for lightly loaded concrete structures.

Abstract

Traditionally, high yield steel has been the common method of providing reinforcement in concrete, primarily due to its high tensile strength. However, steel is susceptible to corrosion, particularly in aggressive environments, leading to potential durability concerns and high costs in repair and maintenance. A promising solution to the problem is the use of fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) as a replacement for reinforcing steel. The use of FRP as reinforcement offers the following advantageous properties: it is lightweight and has high tensile strength, corrosion resistance and flexibility. It is intended in this paper to study the effects of innovative fibre composite materials for reinforcing concrete. This study looks at the use of both basalt FRP rods and carbon FRP grid (C-Grid) as potential alternative reinforcement materials to address the problem of corrosion. The investigation includes an experimental program to evaluate the structural performance of concrete panels reinforced with new forms of reinforcing material and will compare the result against more traditional reinforcement techniques in terms of the panels’ ultimate and service behaviour.